Economics Prof. Paul Zak to host Reddit AMA on Oct. 22

Paul Zak, professor of economics at Claremont Graduate University and director of the university's Center for Neuroeconomic Studies, will take to Reddit on Tuesday, Oct. 22 to answer questions about his research.

Zak is credited with the first published use of the term "neuroeconomics" and has been a vanguard in this new discipline. His lab discovered in 2004 that an ancient chemical in our brains, oxytocin, allows us to determine whom to trust. His current research is showing that oxytocin is responsible for virtuous behaviors, working as the brain's "moral molecule." This knowledge is being used to understand the basis for modern civilizations and modern economies, improve negotiations, and treat patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Video of Zak's 2011 TED talk has been viewed more than 1.1 million times. Zak has also appeared on: Good Morning America, Dr. Phil, Fox & Friends, ABC Evening News, NOVA Science Now, NPR, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Time, The Economist, Scientific American, Fast Company, Forbes, and many others. His popular blog, The Moral Molecule, is featured on the Psychology Today website with a dedicated, active following.